Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Nepal protests
  • Nepal Protests Live
  • Vice-presidential elections
  • iPhone 17
  • IND vs PAK cricket
  • Israel-Hamas war
fp-logo
Dunkirk vs Darkest Hour: Both Oscar-nominated films view same historical episode through different lenses
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Dunkirk vs Darkest Hour: Both Oscar-nominated films view same historical episode through different lenses

Dunkirk vs Darkest Hour: Both Oscar-nominated films view same historical episode through different lenses

Devansh Sharma • February 20, 2018, 11:32:34 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

While Darkest Hour looks at Operation Dynamo through the eyes of then-UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Dunkirk throws light on plight of the soldiers.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Dunkirk vs Darkest Hour: Both Oscar-nominated films view same historical episode through different lenses

“History is written by the victors.” “History will be kind to me because I intend to write it.” “In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.” Reading between these lines said by former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, it will not be a stretch to judge who won the war, who wrote the history and who allegedly, and with a rather proud yet veiled submission, manipulated history. Keeping aside the allegations of blowing out of proportion the intensity of the Holocaust to depict Germany in bad light (and in turn glorifying their World War II opponents including the UK), Churchill was also accused of undermining the horrors and struggles of his army, particularly in case of the Dunkirk evacuation. This year, two period dramas, nominated for the Best Film Category at the 90th Academy Awards , look at the historic Dunkirk episode, though through completely different lenses. While the political POV is represented in Joe Wright’s _Darkest Hour_ , starring the terrific Gary Oldman as the megalomaniac Churchill, and Christopher Nolan’s _Dunkirk_ . Despite the contrasting and at point even conflicting perspectives they provide, both the films found a place in the nominations speaks volumes of the inclusiveness that the Academy aims to incorporate into the Oscars. [caption id=“attachment_4359097” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] ![Stills from Darkest Hour and Dunkirk](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/825-dunkirk-darkest-hour.jpg) Stills from Darkest Hour and Dunkirk[/caption] Both these films operate on parallel narratives. Dunkirk throws light on the plight of hundreds of soldiers confined to the Dunkirk island surrounded by German war planes. On the other hand, Darkest Hour offers a sneak peek into what went down behind the scenes at the House of Commons when Churchill assured the country that its soldiers were, on the contrary, on the verge of victory. In Darkest Hour, Churchill is shown to be completely aware of the impending ill fate of his soldiers at Dunkirk. But he continues to sing laurels for their valour and inevitable victory march when he addresses the nation on the radio or in his famous House of Commons speeches. The idea behind the same, while putting the lives of his soldiers at risk, is to give hope to the citizens in the times of war. Despite repeated suggestions from the parliamentarians, Churchill blatantly refuses to call off the war, consider negotiating peace with Adolf Hitler or asking his soldiers to retreat. Even after he orders Operation Dynamo (the Dunkirk evacuation), he continues to give his countrymen the impression that the Allied Powers, particularly the UK, have an upper hand in the war.

darkest-hour-825

On the other hand, Nolan gives the audience a glimpse of what is arguably the harsh ground reality. His Dunkirk starts with a soldier running away in fear as he stares death in the face. Bodies are strewn all over the island and the remaining soldiers are desperate to evacuate and retreat at all costs. There are only two war planes that fight with the Germans and come to the soldiers’ rescue. However, when pilot’s plane crashes into the sea, even he resolves to run away than going back to the island in order to save his fellow men. While Darkest Hour is marked by long, demonstrative speeches of Churchill, Dunkirk has little to say in terms of dialogue. The entire film is aurally populated with sounds of the barrel, the war planes and desperate cries of the soldiers in crisis. While Darkest Hour documents the incident largely through the eyes of one man, Nolan admits Dunkirk projects communal spirit. While Darkest Hour gives hope, Dunkirk shows the reality. [caption id=“attachment_4323589” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] ![A still from Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Nolan-Dunkirk-825.jpg) A still from Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk[/caption] Both these films end with the famous “We’ll fight on the beaches” speech by Churchill. The verbose yet moving speech by the prime minister receives a roaring applause from the parliamentarians and is said to have dispelled despair and provide the countrymen hope to hang on to. But the same speech is heard in the background (with no visual sign of Churchill) in Dunkirk, when the evacuated soldiers return to the UK and much to their surprise, are received with honour as opposed to the disappointment that is expected after retreat. It is at this point that both these films coincide. Both the graphs intersect when the people of the UK, charged by Churchill’s soul-stirring, hope-instilling speeches, welcome the retreated soldiers with open arms. What the soldiers considered a desperate attempt to save their lives (which were insensitively put on the line by the government) is upheld as war wisdom . In the eyes of the countrymen, the soldiers chose to return so that they could fight another day. As Churchill famously said, “This was their finest hour”. While, in fact, it was their Darkest Hour. All images from YouTube.

Tags
BuzzPatrol World War II Joe Wright Christopher Nolan Winston Churchill Dunkirk Gary Oldman 90th Academy Awards Darkest Hour Operation Dynamo
End of Article
Written by Devansh Sharma
Email

Twitter handle - @inkedinwhite see more

Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Top Stories

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV